Handle construction

ABSTRACT

A handle construction having a spring steel bar whose ends are offset either from the plane of the bar or relative to the width thereof and a thermoplastic handgrip embracing the body portion of the bar between the offset ends. The handgrip is in the form of a longitudinally split sleeve which is wrapped around the body portion of the bar with the opposite longitudinal ends of the split being mated and sealed to form a seam on the underside of the handgrip which is substantially in the same plane of the underside.

United States Pate Szabo et a1.

[ 'June 12, 1973 HANDLE CONSTRUCTION Inventors: Marton Szabo, 1440 Sheridan Street. Apt. (3-5, Camden, NJ. 08104; George W. Bush, 319 Graisbury Avenue, Haddonfield, NJ. 08033 Filed: Sept. 16, 1971 Appl. No.: 181,068

US. Cl 16/110, 190/57, 16/126 Int. Cl A4711 95/02 Field of Search 16/110; 190/58, 57;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1966 Bush ..190 57 10/1970 Bush 3,115,227 12/1963 Shanok et al. 190/57 Primary Examiner-Bernard A. Gelak Assistant Examiner-Doris L. Troutman Att0rney.-MaX'R. Millman [57] ABSTRACT A handle construction having-a spring steel bar whose ends are offset either from the plane of the bar or reladerside of the handgrip which is substantially in the same plane of the underside.

9 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures t HANDLE consrnucrron This invention relates to a handle construction for m dios, television sets, electronic instruments, luggage, carrying cases, appliance and vehicle doors, and the like.

To impart load support and proper resiliency, most handles today are constructed with an internal spring steel bar whose ends are attached in stationary, sliding or swivel fashion by proper hardware to the walls of carrying cases, appliance and vehicle doors, and the like. The spring steel bar is covered with a handgrip portion made of a wide variety of decorative materials including thermoplastics.

When the spring steel bar is of substantially uniform dimensions from end to end and insubstantially the same plane, the handgrip can be an extruded tube whose bore approximates the dimensions of the steel bar. The tube is slipped onto the steel bar and the ends thereof are attached to a suitable supporting wall by the required hardware.

When, however, the ends of the spring steel bar are offset either out of the plane of the bar or offset in the sense that the ends are in the same plane as the bar but extend beyond the width thereof, as is required for certain design and functional reasons, it is not possible to properly assemble a tubular handgrip on the body portion of the bar by slipping the tubular handgrip over the bar. To accomplish this, at least one dimension of the bore of the tubular handgrip would have to approximate the ends of the bar, including the offset portions, which bore would be necessarily and substantially greater than the dimensions of the body portion of the bar between the offset portions, so that after the tubular handgrip was slipped onto the bar, the same would lack function and proper appearance as there would be considerable relative movement between the handgrip and the body portion of the bar.

Heretofore, handgrips for assembly upon the body portion of a bar with offset or enlarged ends was accomplished by injection molding of the handgrip with the body portion of the bar-in the mold or by injection molding of the handgrip in halves and then sealing the halves with the body portion of the bar in place. This is a relatively expensive and sometimes difficult procedure to carry out.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a handle construction with a spring steel bar and offset or enlarged ends in which an extruded handgrip portion can be readily, economically and easily assembled on the body portion of the bar between the offset or enlarged ends with the handgrip snugly engaging the bar thereby overcoming the disadvantages of the injection molding technique.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle construction having a spring steel bar with offset ends and a thermoplastic sleeve which is longitudinally split and wrapped around the body portion of the bar between the offset ends with the split portion then placed in an overlapping mating relationship and sealed to form the underside of the handgrip without any protruded portions at the underside of the handgrip.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle construction of the character described in which the opposite longjtudinal sides of the split portion of the handgrip are mated by a step or bevel construction and readily sealed dielectrically to provide a substantially smooth underside of the handgrip-with the handgrip snugly embracing the body portion of the bar.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a handle construction of the character described in which the split sleeve is extruded to provide ribs which extend inwardly from the wall of the sleeve opposite the split portion so that when the sleeve is wrapped around the body portion of the-bar and the opposite longitudinal sides of the. split are mated and sealed, the ribs will abut the body portion of the bar and perform the dual function of snugly embracing the bar and providing air pockets imparting a cushioning effect to the handgrip.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of one end of the spring steel bar used in the handle of FIG. 1 showing the offset or enlarged portion;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of an end portion of the spring bar;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line -4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. Sis a view similar to FIG. 4 of a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the split sleeve used to form the handgrip;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational -view of yet another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the enlarged or offset end of the spring bar used in the handle of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

Specific reference will now be made to the drawings in which similar reference characters are used for cor-.

responding elements throughout.

The handle construction illustrated in FIGS. l-5 is that known in the trade as a spring glide collapsible flat-lying handle such as that shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,987,150; 3,113,650; and 3,219,160.

Such a handle construction includes a substantially rectangular elongated relatively flat spring steel bar 10 to each end of which is secured by riveting or equivalent means 112 a link member 14 which is concavoconvex as shown clearly in FIG. 3 which includes transverse members 16 connected by longitudinal members 18, the transverse members being wider than the spring bar 10. Thus the bar can be said to have a body portion with offset or enlarged ends, in this case the ends being offset in two directions, namely out of the major plane of the body portion of the spring bar and wider than the body portion of the spring bar.

As indicated in the aforementioned patents, the links are slidably mounted upon the supporting walls by a suitable retainer or hardware 20 containing a resilient member operative on the link therein.

It will be noted that if a tubular handgrip were to be slipped over the bar with its offset or enlarged ends, the bore thereof would have to approximate the enlarged ends and would therefore considerably exceed the dimensions of the body portion of the bar producing undesirable relative movement between the handgrip and bar.

In the instant invention, the handgrip 22 which can be made of any suitable thermoplastic, such as polyvinyl chloride, nylon and the'like, is in the form of a lon-' gitudinally split tube which is substantially coextensive with the body portion of the bar, that is that portion between the enlarged or offset ends thereof. The split tube is extruded, preferably in the form shown in FIG. 6, and contains an upper wall 24, side walls 26 and members 28 and 30 extending from the side walls and terminating in the split portion 32.

The split tube is wrapped around the body portion of the spring bar and the members 28 and 30, which are formed with mating edges, are placed in contact with each other and then sealed to form the lower wall or underside of the handgrip. In the form of the invention shown in FlGS. 1-4 and 6, the opposite longitudinal free edges of the members 28 and 30 at the split portion 32 are formed of mating steps 34 and 36. When these are engaged and sealed, perferably dielectrically, they form a longitudinal seam at the underside 38 of the handgrip in such a fashion that the underside is substantially planar and contains no protrusions, as shown grip approximates the dimensions of the body portion of the bar and snugly embraces the same. It will be understood, of course, that the upper or palm-engaging wall 24 of the'handgrip may be formed at the exterior thereof in any desired decorative or textured pattern.

A variant of the handgrip above described is shown in cross-section in FIG. 5. The split sleeve which is extruded to form this handgrip comprises an upper undulating wall 40 having crevices with spaced protrusions 42 therein simulating stitching. Extending inwardly from the upper wall at the crevices are ribs 34 which may be coextensive with the sleeve or spaced longitudinally thereof. The longitudinal side walls 46 are extended inwardly to produce longitudinal flaps or members 48 and 50, the free lonitudinal edges of which contain mating steps 52.

The open sleeve is wrapped around the body portion of the bar 10 and the steps 52 of theflaps 48 and 50 are mated and then sealed, preferably dielectrically, so that the seam is substantially in the same plane as the undersurface formed by the flaps 48 and 50. In this position, the ribs 44 abut the upper surface of the bar re to form compressible airpockets 54 so that the spring bar is snugly engaged by the handgrip, but the handgrip becomes a cushioning member.

The handles of FIGS. 1-6 are illustrative of but one type in which the spring bar contained offset or enlarged portions at its ends. Another example is shown in FIG. '7 and there the elongated, substantially rectangular, substantially flat, spring bar 56 is formed with or has secured at each end thereof by a rivet 58 or other appropriate means a member 60 which is substantially in the same plane as the bar 56 but whose width exceeds that of the bar. When the handgrip is made to cover the body portion of the bar 56, the members 665 are attached to the supporting wall by appropriate members such as staked-in screws 62, the wall containing a cavity beneath the handgrip to permit grasping of the handle. The handgrip 64 of the instant invention which is substantially coextensive with the body portion of the bar, is an extruded longitudinally split sleeve which is wrapped around the body portion of the bar and the longitudinal free edges at the split are made to H engage and to be sealed toform the.undersurfaceof-the v I g is seen in FIG. 9, the sleeve contains an upper wall 66, side walls 68 and lower longitudinal flaps or members 70 and 72 which are open and contain mating bevels 74-. After the split sleeve is wrapped around the body portion of the bar 56 and the bevels are mated and sealed dielectrically, an undersurface 76 of the handgrip is produced which is substantially planar and contains no protrusions. Here again as in the previously described embodiments, the bore of the handgrip can be made to approximate the dimensions of the body portion of the bar 56 to snugly embrace the same or can be made with internal ribs as shown in FIG. 5 to obtain a handgrip that snugly embraces the spring bar but imparts a cushioning effect thereto.

- .i" f'While preferred embodiments of the invention have in FIG. 4. As shown in that figure, the bore of the handherein been shown and described, it will be understood that a skilled artisan may make minor variations without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the underside of the handgrip may be formed as a curved as well as a substantially flat surface which is relatively smooth and without protrusions. The term planar hereinbefore is used in this sense. It will be further understood that the invention is applicable to handles with offset ends other than those illustrated hereinbefore, such for example as conventional U-shaped handles which are swively attached to a supporting wall. In such a handle the bent ends of the handle are offset from the main plane of the handgrip portion. Also, altemative means for sealing the opposed longitudinal free ends of the split sleeve can be used such as dielectric heating thermal sealing, induction bonding, solvent cementing, and the like. Also, if the split sleeve is not excessively thick, the free longitudinal ends at the split can be overlapped and sealed dielectrically, thermally or by induction bonding to cause the overlapped ends to melt in and'thereby form a substantially smooth handgrip undersurface.

What is claimed is:

ll. A handle consisting essentially of an elongated spring bar having a substantially flat body portion and ends each of which is offset from the body portion, and a thermoplastic handgrip substantially coextensive with said body portion formed of a longitudinally split sleeve, the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split being mated and sealed to form a handgrip undersurface without protrusions, said handgrip snugly embracing said body portion of said bar.

2. The handle of claim 1 wherein each end is offset substantially in the plane of said bar but extends beyond the width thereof.

3. The handle of claim 1 wherein each end is offse from the plane of said body portion of said bar.

4. The handle of claim I wherein the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split are formed of mating steps.

5. The handle of claim 1 wherein the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split are formed of mating bevels.

6. The handle of claim 2 wherein the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split are formed of mating steps.

' 7. The handle of claim 3 wherein the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split are formed of mating bevels.

a thermoplastic handgrip substantially coextensive with said body portion formed of a longitudinally split sleeve, the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split overlapping and being sealed so that the overlapped portions melt into each other to form a substantially smooth undersurface, said handgrip snugly embracing said body pokrtirin of said bar. 

1. A handle consisting essentially of an elongated spring bar having a substantially flat body portion and ends each of which is offset from the body portion, and a thermoplastic handgrip substantially coextensive with said body portion formed of a longitudinally split sleeve, the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split being mated and sealed to form a handgrip undersurface without protrusions, said handgrip snugly embracing said body portion of said bar.
 2. The handle of claim 1 wherein each end is offset substantially in the plane of said bar but extends beyond the width thereof.
 3. The handle of claim 1 wherein each end is offset from the plane of said body portion of said bar.
 4. The handle of claim 1 wherein the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split are formed of mating steps.
 5. The handle of claim 1 wherein the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split are formed of mating bevels.
 6. The handle of claim 2 wherein the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split are formed of mating steps.
 7. The handle of claim 3 wherein the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split are formed of mating bevels.
 8. The handle of claim 1 and ribs extending interiorly from the side of said handgrip opposite said underside and abutting said body portion of said bar thereby causing said handgrip to both snugly embrace said bar and form cushioning pockets.
 9. A handle consisting essentially of an elongated spring bar having a substantially flat body portion and ends each of which is offset from the body portion, and a thermoplastic handgrip substantially coextensive with said body portion formed of a longitudinally split sleeve, the opposite longitudinal free edges of said sleeve at the split overlapping and being sealed so that the overlapped portions melt into each other to form a substantially smooth undersurface, said handgrip snugly embracing said body portion of said bar. 